Jump Start # 2314

2 Samuel 11:1 “Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.”

Our verse today is the background setting to David’s adultery, cover-up, deception and murder. “Then it happened in the spring,” is how this chapter begins. Then it happened, is David’s rapid tailspin and spiritual and moral crash. It happened just like this. In the spring, kings go to battle. But this king, David, stayed home. Had he gone to battle, this probably wouldn’t have happened.

In the spring, back then, kings go to battle. Today, in the spring, our preachers go out to preach. It’s Gospel Meeting time. Many congregations will invite a guest preacher to come and preach several evenings in a row. This custom has seen a few adjustments here and there but by in large it remains basically the same for generations. In the spring, the preachers go to preach. I’ll be one of them. The next few weeks I will be gone more than I am home. Let’s talk about the Gospel Meeting concept.

First, the preaching of God’s word is always good. When honest hearts intersect with the pure word of God, good things happen. Now here are some thoughts to consider. There was a time when a person could be shown in one lesson what God expected and they would be converted immediately. That doesn’t happen much anymore. There was a time when someone could hear a lesson about the purity of God’s church as compared to what’s going on in denominations. They would go home mad. They would stay up all night looking in their Bible. They would come back the next night, with a changed heart and ready to obey Jesus. Today, that person would go home mad and never come back. Most conversions today are the result of personal Bible study that covers a few weeks. That being the state of things today, preachers and congregations need to rethink the purpose of the meeting.

From a preacher’s standpoint, it helps knowing what is going on in a congregation and what type of lessons the shepherds would like to have. Too often the thought is, “Bring your best sermons.” What I think are my best sermons may not be what that church needs. I develop lessons for my home congregation. I am among them and I know what they need. So, some communication back and forth will make for a good meeting.

Second, preachers need to understand that during the week folks get tired. They have to work. Kids have to go to school. So, long, long sermons wear very thin with the audience. Some preachers get this. Some don’t. By the end of the week, those poor mamas who have been wrestling with their babies all week long look like they have been run over by a truck. Let’s drop the egos. None of us are so great that times stops for us. We’d like to think so, but that’s not the case. Bring lessons that encourage. Bring lessons that deal with life. Bring lessons that answers the need of the hour. Great historical studies about origins, histories of translations, religious movements long ago may fit better in Bible classes at the home congregation, but not for Gospel Meeting material. The preacher is not show casing himself. He is there to help a congregation. One of the best helps is to water weary hearts and encourage others.

Third, learn and share from each other. I love to sit down with a visiting preacher and ask him about what he is doing back in his home congregation. I like to hear about how they attract visitors. I like to hear about how they spruce up the building. I like to hear about how the shepherds are connecting with the people. Ideas. Suggestions. And, when I go to places, I like to look around. I like to get ideas and see what others are doing. It’s great for the host preacher and elders to take the visiting preacher out to lunch and to just talk, share ideas and help each other. Sometimes we forget that we are on the same side of the kingdom. There is no competition among us. We want all congregations to grow, flourish and make a difference in lives. Keeping things close to your vest, seems selfish. Talk about classes. Talk about what excites you in the Lord.

Fourth, what is done before and after the meeting often can really help the meeting. Talk it up. Print up things to pass out. Give the building a real spit shine. Think of ways to get more out of the meeting. And, then when it is over, don’t just go on like it never happened. Pull some thoughts from that meeting and use them in sermons, classes and other avenues. Keep talking and building upon the foundations that were presented.

I believe some churches have meetings every spring because they just believe that they are supposed to. They don’t know what is expected, what is to happen, nor what is supposed to be accomplished. The week comes and goes, and nothing much changes. The following year it will happen all over again and just about the same results will happen again.

Put some thought into why you are having a meeting. Pick out a preacher that you feel will fit your needs. Don’t just have the same ones over and over, year after year. Bring in some fresh faces. Consider different ways of presenting the meeting. Rather than a week long meeting, try a few days. Try a weekend. Try a one day meeting. Wrap a theme around it and try to freshen up the idea. Put some thought, energy and effort into making it a real highlight of the year.

In the spring, the kings went off to war. These days, in the spring, the preachers go off to preach.

Roger

Jump Start # 1412

2 Samuel 11:1 “Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.”

  Our verse today, beginning with the expression, “Then it happened,” takes us down one of the darkest pages of our Bibles. The mighty king David, giant killer, great king of Israel, the shepherd, the singer and soother of king Saul, the writer of most of the Psalms, the man described after God’s own heart, crumbles and falls. This is the chapter. This is it. “Then it happened.”

This week, our Jump Starts are going to focus upon this section and three people, David, Bathsheba and Uriah. We hope the layers of lessons will help you in your walk with the Lord. We hope that through this avenue, it may keep a “Then it happened” moment from being a reality in your life.

Let’s begin by understanding, that sin, any sin, even sexual sin as takes place in this chapter, doesn’t just “happen.” Long before David stayed home, things were taking place that he didn’t notice. Before the stroll on the roof top, before the look below, before the order to bring Bathsheba, other things were going on.

First, David’s relationship begins to slip with the Lord. We may have a blow out on the highway, but we generally do not have a blow out of our faith. It’s a slow leak. It’s so slow, that most don’t notice. God does. Satan does as well. Kings normally go to battle in the spring. David stayed home. Was that wrong? No. It was different. Things were not normal. Earlier, we read, “David took more concubines and wives” (5:13). It seems his appetite isn’t satisfied. It seems that he is not content. David is not settled inside.

David is around fifty years old here. The kingdom is doing well. There are no real threats. Peaceful times. Prosperous times. Other nations are paying tribute to Israel. It just seems that David’s focus isn’t as keen as it had been. Routines can do that. Normal can do that. In the midst of the storm our prayers go upward. In the crisis we use our faith. Those anxious moments in the hospital, those sad moments in the funeral home, waiting for your child to get home safe and sound. But normal can be hard on us. Just another day at work. Just another school day. Nothing specular. Getting through the norm can be harder on us than those crisis moments. We just don’t seem to need our faith as much. We do, but we don’t’ see that. Our guard drops. Routine brings a false security and peace.

Second, it didn’t take long for Satan to present an opportunity. The opportunity was custom fitted for David. He didn’t look over the wall and see an beautiful horse. He didn’t see a pile of money. He didn’t see a new chariot. He didn’t see an idol. No, it was a woman. Not just any woman, but, we are told she was “very beautiful” and she was bathing. Satan didn’t toss David a soft punch. He came with all that he had. He hit David hard. Tony Evans has written, “Of all the things that can crush a man spiritually, emotionally and physically, none can do it faster or more completely than a plunge into sexual sin” (No More Excuses, pg. 51).

David saw bathing Bathsheba. Her name wasn’t Edna. It was Bathsheba. Bathsheba taking a bath—what a twist on words. She lived next door to David. She was married to Uriah, one of David’s mighty men. A true hero in this story. Because they lived next door to the palace indicated great trust and confidence that David had in Uriah. In those days, not just anyone could live next to the king. Only the best. Only the most loyal. And it was this neighbor, wife of one of his heroes, that he sees bathing. David looked. David sent. David sinned.

There are several things that David didn’t see. Sin does that to a person. Sin covers their eyes. It blinds them to the reality and the consequences facing them.

• David never saw the commands of God about “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” He must have forgotten about those.
• David never saw the warnings of his servant. We’ll explore this more this week.
• David never saw that he was hurting one of his best and most loyal servants
• David never saw that his family would be ripped apart because of this sin
• David never saw a baby being born
• David never saw a massive cover-up to escape notice
• David never saw God sending a prophet to rebuke him
• David never saw all the tears that could come from this
• David never saw how low he would fall and the number of sins he would commit before this was over

David never saw those things.

Sin does the same to us. That’s while it is deceitful. It’s not honest. It’s not upfront.

• The drunk doesn’t see himself passing out in his own throw up. He doesn’t see losing his job, again. He doesn’t see his wife leaving him.
• The drug user doesn’t see himself becoming addicted. He doesn’t see himself stealing from his own family.
• The shoplifter doesn’t see himself getting caught. He doesn’t see the police, handcuffs and jail. He doesn’t see court rooms and a record
• The adulterer, like David, doesn’t see others finding out. He doesn’t see his wife leaving him.

Then it happened. It happens because we let our guard down. It happens because we stop feeding our faith. It happens because we become weak. It happens because we compromise. It happens. It happens all the time. It’s shocking. It’s harmful. It’s sad to the people of God.

I read of a preacher that once kept a list of consequences that would most likely happen if he got caught in an affair. The list included losing his job, losing his family, losing his reputation. The calls from other churches would stop. He’d have to move out of his house and find an apartment. He’d have to find a job, any job. How could he ever walk back into that church building again? How could he ever face his children again? What would he say to the leadership that loved him and supported him? What would he say to his wife? What would he say to God?

There are consequences that we rarely think about. The lust of sin blinds us. All we see is the moment. All we think about is self. All we know is that at the moment, we can get away with it. “Then it happened…” And what often happens is that if the guilt doesn’t kill us, the lies start coming more and more to hide, cover up and justify what happened. And once the door has been opened once, it is so much easier to open it a second time.

Then it happened. Every time I read those words, I shout on the inside. I want to scream at David. “Go back inside your palace.” “Go fight with your troops.” “Go.” “Go anywhere, just go.” We sure can analyze and see the mistakes of David, but then turn around and walk so blindly and so quickly into our own sin. It may not be lust and adultery, it may be dishonesty and greed. It may be self righteousness and the unforgiving heart. It may be pride. “Then it happened…”

There is never a time…there is never a place…there is never a moment that we put off Christ. Think about Him at work, it will help you. Take Him with you on vacation, it will help you. Include Him in your texts and facebook posts. Christ is our life.

The great giant killer, David, was defeated by Satan. He recovered. He was forgiven. But things were never the same. Sin is like that. It leaves a scar. Forgiven, the scar remains. The damage can be very destructive. It can take a lifetime to recover from a few moments of sin.

Then it happened…work not to have one of those moments.

Roger